February 17, 2007 - Page 1

Text Box: We all know it’s not easy to get away from pocket queens with a big raise in front of you. No one wants to lay down queens only to have their opponent show a lower pocket pair or, heaven forbid, a suited J-8. In my experience, if you decide to fold your pocket queens simply lay your hand face down in the muck, unless you are 100% sure you are folding the weaker hand. Hopefully your opponent will show you their pocket aces and you’ll know you made the correct move. Odds calculated by cardplayer.com.

Text Box: The odds of being dealt pocket aces are the same as being dealt pocket 4’s; 220:1. Everyone, with the exception of the local charlatan, would lay down pocket 4’s if they knew their opponent was holding pocket aces. Why? Because the odds of them winning pre-flop is about 19.15%. This number, of course, depends on what suits are represented on the cards. (If the pairs share one or both suits the odds are lower.) It is relatively easy for players to get away from these low pairs prior to the flop with a large bet before

Text Box: them because of the obvious number of over cards that can come on the flop, turn, and river. But what if you have pocket queens? Would you be surprised to hear that pocket queens are an even bigger underdog up against pocket aces? If you are the one holding queens, your best chance of winning the hand is 18.96%. This is due to the fact that the cards that could come to help you make a straight are limited with your opponent holding two aces. (If the pairs share one or both suits, again, the odds are lower.)

Text Box: route on their friends that were still in. The final table was assembled and, at the suggestion of the dealer, the remaining couples decided to pool and chop the top 10 payouts. Each couple walked away with $850. No hands were dealt at the final table. (Places 11-20 were each paid $150 for their efforts.)

Text Box: On Saturday, February 10, 2007 200 couples convened on Casino Arizona—Talking Stick all with the same goal; to win the Sweetheart’s Couples Tournament. Partly because of the $2000 pay out but mostly for bragging rights. There were many familiar faces mixed with some new ones (there were only 144 duets for the 2006 Halloween Couples

Text Box: Tourney). As the ladies’ first shift ended, there were enough stories to fill the next 30 minutes while some of the gentlemen tried to show off their poker acumen. One-by-one guys and girls came walking out of the poker room to a disappointed partner. Some tried their hands at blackjack while others simply stood by the rail to

Pocket Pairs	1
Couples Tourney	1
Q&A with Kenny Rich	2
Hand of the Week	2
Poker Poem	2
Playing at the Casino by Jennifer Petsch	3
Quad Corner	3
TV: High Stakes Poker by Chris Kase	4
The Art of Sucking Out	4

Text Box: PHOENIX POKER BEAT